Your Giving is Enough

By Bianca A. Garza

After the fire, items from friends, co-workers, friends of friends and strangers began to arrive. Everything from bedding to clothing to small appliances were donated. I was shocked, in awe, and so grateful to the community who had chosen to give.

When I was 21 years old, I lived through a house fire. I wasn’t present when my two-story, light blue, rental went up in flames, but I suffered the loss of 90% of my belongings. To this day, I am more than thankful for my then roommates’ boyfriend, who happened to have flown in the evening before, who I barely knew, for being present. I barely knew him to the extent that I do not even know his name, but he saved my 90-pound dog, Bear, by carrying him out of the house while windows were bursting. I recall him telling me that he wished he could have done more. He had done plenty, in fact, more than enough.

I heard the same line person after person. I received a used down blanket with pillows from a co-worker with “I wish I could do more.” I received kitchen utensils, cookware and small appliances from friends with “I’m sorry it’s not more.” I received gift cards and used clothing from the women I worked alongside with “we wish we could do more.” Every time it was plenty and I was grateful. And every time I was struck by the idea that these people thought they weren’t doing enough! Didn’t they realize they were sustaining me?! They were they epitome of ‘community sustainability.’

During this horrendous fire season, as you’re dropping off bags of clothes, housewares, or even hay, know that you are embodying community sustainability. When you give away your used or new goods, don’t think about how much you aren’t doing, think about what you’ve done, think about the lives you’re bringing positivity to and how much better someone else is now because of your generosity.

Don’t pass up the opportunity to a make a tremendous difference in someone’s life for fear of your deed not being enough.

Molly Brown: We have only seen our mountains a few times since lightning started the Nachez Fire to the northwest. It got much worse when the Carr Fire blew up. Now whatever way the wind blows, we get smoke.

Arielle Halpern: Every year, Mount Shasta plays host to migrating monarch butterflies. Not only are monarch butterflies one of a number of important native pollinator species, they are a species that has been given a great deal of attention in recent years because of their extreme decline due to habitat conversion, pesticide use, and climate change.

Molly brown: Why doesn’t the Market require compostable bags? Well, it turns out that when compostable bags get mixed in with plastic bags in recycling, they literally gum up the works. And it’s very hard to separate compostable bags from plastic bags, because they look pretty much the same.